United States Foreign Policy
This module will examine the making of US foreign policy and analyse some of the key global issues confronting the United States in the twenty first century.
Part one considers different conceptual approaches to analysing US foreign policy, examines the role of values and interests in US foreign policy formation and implementation, and explores the institutions, processes, and domestic politics of US foreign policy making. Part two engages with a number of key issues in contemporary US foreign policy and considers how the US approach to foreign affairs has developed from '9/11' to the second administration of President Donald Trump. The module then addresses questions concerning the role of diplomacy and alliance politics, US military interventions and the use of force, the perceived threats from US adversaries, and the debate over the changing nature of American influence and leadership in world politics.
In analysing these issues, the module adopts a critical perspective by encouraging students to reflect on the implications of policy making and to question assumptions made by policymakers and by contemporary scholars of US foreign relations. The module offers a comprehensive engagement with the academic study of US foreign policy and with the implications of policy making itself.
Seminars begin in Week 1 of Term Two and finish in week 10. The exception is week 6, which is a PAIS Reading Week.
The module is taught as a 2 hour seminar. Doing the required reading is vital for the functioning of the seminars and your progress and success in the module!
Please consult the READING LIST on a regular basis for the required weekly readings, as well as for additional sources and information on US foreign policy.
The reading list is a good initial starting point for your own research on US foreign policy for your assessed essay. However, you will need to undertake your own literature research via the Library Catalogue in order to satisfy the requirements for scholarly work on your chosen subject.
Copies of all weekly required readings should be available as digital resources through the University Library. For the required readings, direct links to the location of books and articles in the library catalogue are provided, as well as pdf versions of individual book chapters and journal articles where available.
Please note that the Reading List for this module is held on these Moodle pages, not on Talis Aspire.
There is no dedicated textbook for this course. However, students who have not studied US foreign policy before who are looking for an accessible and comprehensive introductory textbook might want to consult:
- James McCormick,American Foreign Policy & ProcessLink opens in a new window, Seventh Edition (Cambridge University Press, 2024)
Those students who have not studied US politics before may wish to read the following highly accessible introductory textbook:
- David McKay. American Politics and SocietyLink opens in a new window. 10th Edition (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2022)
This module focuses mostly on contemporary US foreign policy, but students interested in some deep background via American history might want to consult:
- George C. Herring, From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776Link opens in a new window. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008)
- Jerald A. Combs and Jessica Elkind,The History of American Foreign Policy from 1895Link opens in a new window, Fifth Edition (Routledge, 2024)
Students following this module can consult the module director at any time during advice and feedback hours and via email.